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Then, click the Environment Variables button.
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These add to or override the variables set up in the systemwide list. The upper, User Variables section defines additional default environment variables just for the current user account. The lower, System Variables section defines the environment variables set up for every user account. Notice that this dialog box has two sections, System Variables and User Variables. The per-user list adds to or overrides the systemwide list. In Windows 7, the initial environment variables that are defined when every Command Prompt window is first opened are set up using the GUI shown in Figure 29.2.Įxamining the environment variables for the current user (top) and for all users of the system (bottom). In addition, they can be used in batch files to temporarily hold information about the job at hand. Environment variables indicate where temporary files are stored, what folders contain Windows program files, and other settings that affect program operation and system performance.
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Using environment variables is one of the ways that Windows communicates information such as the location of system files and folders - as set up on your particular computer - to programs.
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